Simple Kind of Life
by Kory Anders
Summary: AU: Kory Anders transfers Italy speaking pretty good english, Victor Stone awakens from a three month sleep to discover he's a cyborg, Karen Beecher joins a small group known as HIVE. Kory and Vic meet three students and emotions clash, secrets are told
1. Mornings suck

Disclaimer: We do not own any of the Teen Titans characters or settings. We do not own any brand names or anything else you may recognize. We do however own everything else and must insist that you ask before using. This story is an AU (alternate Universe)

Thank you

AN: (bluestar1908) hey everyone well if you don't know I am helping write this story. I am almost positive that you will be able to figure out who is writing whose part. Well I am going to stop talking now so you can get to the story quicker. Hope you like it.

**_Prologue_**

_You've had your little backyard  
Protected by big walls  
You didn't dare look over  
'Cause you've been too small  
Now you're finally sixteen  
And you're feeling old  
But they won't believe  
That you've got a soul_

-No Doubt _Sixteen_

"_Fly my little Robin..._"

"Master Richard, you have school today get up." Dick Grayson looked around with bleary eyes. School? Wasn't it summer? He noticed the wall calendar, August 28. He did have school today. He resentfully crawled out of the queen sized bed. Alfred, the butler who had woken him up, had left a silver try with breakfast.

He still hadn't gotten used to this life, a butler waiting on him hand and foot, a father that he barely saw. It was too surreal. Maybe that was because of the life he used to lead, everybody's dream of joining a circus. He had a brother, a mother and a father there. And then during a stunt that should have been so easy, the ropes were cut. Richard was only nine when it happened. It still haunted him.

After that Bruce Wayne took him in. That's right, Bruce Wayne, the billionaire. Of course the first thing he offered was to buy Richard whatever he wanted, in time he grew to realize that material possessions were not what the boy needed. He didn't subject Dick to the painful therapy as he had gone through. He decided if Dick needed to talk he would be there.

In time Dick grew to appreciate the gesture. He preferred to keep to himself. That is until they moved into suburban, nearly rural Gotham. He was sent to a school for the gifted when he was considered a freshman in high school. He was labeled a 'loner' and the school therapist was always trying to psychoanalyze him. Only one other person got as much attention from the therapist and that was his first real friend, Alfred didn't count, since his parents died, Raven.

He and Raven had been like brother and sister since then. They had befriended one other, and that was Garfield Logan, he preferred Beast Boy. He was rather content with the way things were. Change always brought trouble. Dick had come to realize that. He was dressed. He trekked down the stairs in a pair of back pants and a red shirt. "Morning Al," he greeted the old butler.

"Good morning Master Dick, I trust you slept well." Alfred had never gotten the concept of calling him Dick or Richard, without putting master in front of it.

"Oh yeah Al, I slept great," he lied. He hadn't been sleeping well all summer. He was having dreams about his parents, the night they died to be exact. He would need to talk to Raven about that. She had always been good at figuring out dreams like that. He glanced at the clock on the wall; he had better run if he wanted to get to the bus stop. "Breakfast was great Al, I gotta go!" And Dick Grayson bolted out the door towards the bus stop. He couldn't wait until he turned sixteen in a few days, then he could drive to school instead of run to the stupid bus stop.

Raven Roth slowly opened her eyes. The clock on her right flashed 4:46. Raven rolled over on her back. Her eyes started the familiar path along the ceiling. A calm sense of peace came over her when she heard a small shatter of glass come from the room down the hall. When she heard an immediate snore follow the shattering she climbed out of bed.

She walked down the empty hallway. By the feeling of worn carpet against her bare feet she made her way to the bathroom. When she felt the cool linoleum on she ran her hand against the water stained wallpaper to find the light switch. Once she flicked on the light she walked over to the broken mirror to begin getting ready for her first day of school.

The procedure was normal to her. First she splashed her face with water then began cleaning it. That was the kick-off to the beginning of her day. Once done in the bathroom Raven walked back to her room. The clock now read 5:00. She had exactly 15 minuets to get ready and to wake up her 5-year-old little sister.

After putting on a pair of worn in Levi jeans and a long sleeve black tank-top Raven walked to the kitchen and began preparing toast and scrambled eggs.

Raven placed the food on a paper plate and put it on the kitchen counter. She then put water on to boil and stuck a tea bag in the pit to speed things up a bit. Raven walked to the other end of the hallway to her little sister's room. Once she opened the door she realized how innocent her little sister looked when she was sleeping.

Raven walked across the stuff animal littered floor to the child size bed against the far wall. She leaned over the small child and moved a piece of baby fine blond hair out of the girls face. The girls face scrunched up just a bit as if she was going to wake up then it went back to its resting position.

"Cassie, wake up. I made breakfast." Raven whispered. Cassie replied by sitting up and looking at Raven with her big dark eyes. Maybe this kid isn't so bad Raven thought to herself.

"Why did you wake me up?" the child yelled. Her dark eyes were turning red. "It's only 5:15 A.M."

"I have school and you have to go to daycare. Remember? Trigon told you about this yesterday." Raven said using the tone of voice that she used with most of the rest of the world. She had never showed any sort of emotion towards the brat before why start now.

"Oh, yeah, now I remember." Cassie looked at raven again with big dark eyes and asked innocently. "Can you bring me my breakfast in here my legs are still all wobbly."

"I guess. Just don't scream like that again or you'll wake Trigon." Raven said walking out the door towards the kitchen to pour the tea into a glass cup and milk into a plastic one. She then juggled the milk glass and tea glass and the plate of food down the hall and back into her little sister's room.

"Here you go." Raven said handing Cassie the plate and the glass of milk. "Once you are done eating get dressed and brush you teeth. Don't forget to throw your plate away and put your glass in the sink so Helen can wash it."

"Why do you call mommy Helen and daddy Trigon?" Cassie asked. Picking up a piece of toast and examining it.

"Well I call your mother Helen because she isn't my mother." Raven said taking a sip of her tea. " My mother is the lady I go see every other weekend."

"Oh, I see." The little girl said. She looked at Raven with curiosity. She reminded Raven very much of a shrink.

"And I call our father Trigon because I don't really like him and he really doesn't like me so I feel like there isn't really any reason for me to pretend that there is some sort of relationship there."

"Okay, then why don't you go live with your mommy?" Cassie was now starting on her eggs.

"Because to go to my school I have to live in this city and well my mother doesn't."

"Okay you can leave now." Cassie threw her arm in the air as if she were shooing a servant.

Raven walked out of Cassie's room. How many times had she thought that same question? Why don't I just leave and go live with mother. Then she would always remind herself how important it was for her to go to school and to learn to socialize with others.

Once Cassie was ready to go, Raven walked with her little sister down the three flights of stairs to the lobby, it was 5:45. Form there it was a fifteen minuet walk to Cassie's day care.

After dropping off her sister Raven started her walk back to her apartment building where she would sit and wait for the bus to show up. She liked being early. She liked to sit and calm down and then to watch the people from the regular school and from her school arrive.

On her way to her normal seat on the bench in front of the building she realized that no one in her house actually knew the time that the bus arrived. Slowly people began to arrive and socialize. To Raven it was fun to sit and listen to what people where talking about. She liked to know what people did over the summer, who dated who, who cheated on who , and who liked who the last one was the best.

Today something was different. There was someone else. Someone new. Raven looked around the bus stop for an unfamiliar face but she couldn't find them. Maybe she was invisible. Raven thought to herself. There is already an invisible girl in the grade above her.

Then she saw the high spirited new girl walking down the steps of Raven's apartment building. Who is she? She asked herself. Was she African or African American? Now a day you couldn't tell because people were being shipped from all over the world to go to Guzzmand high. As the girl walked towards the bench that Raven was sitting on Raven noticed that she carried herself with a certain confidence.

When Raven looked over to see who the new girl was heading towards. Raven shook her head when she realized that the new girl was headed towards Jinx. Jinx lived in the apartment at the opposite end of the hall from Raven's.

"Oh great just another hive member in the building." Raven mumbled to herself.

"Did you talk?" The bright red haired boy sitting next to her asked. Raven looked over at him and lowered her eyebrows.

"I didn't think so." He replied then turned back to his comic book. Raven tried to listen to Jinx and the new girl's conversation from her seat but could only here little bits and pieces thanks to the rest of the students waiting for the school bus to arrive.

The only things that Raven found was that this girl was in fact from Africa and was in her grade. Once the bus pulled up Raven heard Jinx call the new girl Bumblebee. So we now had a bee in the Hive, how ironic. Raven thought to herself.

Victor Stone opened his eyes. Well one of his eyes. His other one was mechanical if everything had gone right. He sat up; the shiny metal that constructed seventy-five percent of his body gave a resounding creak. Oh yeah it had worked. Victor, preferably Vic, walked over to his mirror. His whole torso, not counting his arms his arms were metallic, as was his lower half. His left arm was metal, and his right was not. A quarter of his head had a blue plate which was also part of the procedure.

At the end of the school year somebody had wrecked into his friend's car. His friend was small but luckily he escaped with a few minor bruises. Vic was tough, and very thick, yet somehow he barely survived, and most of his body had to be recreated.

His father was a scientist, lucky for him, so he was able to be reconstructed. As he stared into the mirror he realized he couldn't recognize himself anymore. A beeping began to sound. Was that from him? He glanced at his left arm. In a blue rectangle it read **SCHOOL**. Well at least he couldn't be late with an alarm programmed on him.

He walked down the stairs, heavier than he was during football season. Could he still play? He already ached for the feeling of a football. He entered the kitchen. His father sat and ate a plate of ham, and his mother stood against the counter sipping a cup of coffee. She looked up. "Victor!" She rushed to her son and hugged him. Then she pulled away. "Silas, Victor's awake."

Silas Stone looked up. "So he is." He climbed to his feet. "How do you feel son?" Victor shrugged in response.

"Can I tell ya later? I'm still adjustin'." Vic claimed as he sat at the table and began to eat his breakfast. His consisted of half of a ham, eight strips of bacon, two eggs, a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice. He continued to eat until the clock on the stove began to buzz. He was running to school. He slid out of his chair, took the milk down in one gulp and ran out the door. "Bye mom, bye Dad!" He went to shut the door but found that it shut on its own. He chuckled, _that's what I get for bein' asleep for the whole summer_.

Kayile Rumundo slowly opened the door to her older adoptive brother's room. She carefully stepped around the food and toys and clothes to the dorm like bunk bed that her brother seemed to live in lately. As she approached the ladder to the bed she heard a small squeak from underneath one of the many piles of rotting shoes. "If there are animals in here again I swear I am telling mom." She said to herself.

She quickly climbed the smooth red wood stained ladder. Kayile looked at the space where her brother's head should be. The ugly worn quilt that her brother refused to get rid of was pulled up over the pillow. She poked the large hump underneath the quilt and said. "Garfield you need to get up now, it's time for breakfast and you have to go to school today."

When the hump didn't move Kayile got frustrated and pulled back the covers. Instead of finding her brothers green tinted body she found a stuffed monkey, face up and staring at her. It's eyes where wide, red, and demonic. Kayile screamed and fell to the floor.

Garfield Logan popped his head out from the foot of his bed just in time to see his sister fall to the floor. His laughs started as silent chuckles and turned into rolling laughter when she realized she landed in a plate of spaghetti that he had left on the floor from last night.

Kayile stood up and looked at her brother. "You know you are really immature. I was just trying to wake you up nicely. You didn't have to go and do a stupid thing like that." She turned and walked out of the room and into her own to change her clothes.

"Wait Kayile." Gar said standing up and hitting his head on the ceiling. "Ouch. Kaylie come back here so I can apologize."

"What did you do now?" Galtry Rumundo asked walking into the doorway.

"Nothing that would interest to you." Gar said snootily sitting down on his bed with his feet dangling off the edge. His legs started to automatically swing back and forth.

"Yeah right like I believe that" Galtry said walking into the room.

"It's not like you really care about what me or Kayile do." Gar said his feet stopped swinging and he leaned forward.

"Of course I do. Now get down here and talk to me."

"No I think I am going to stay up here." Gar said leaning back again.

"No you're not you're going to come down here and tell me what you did to your sister." Galtry walked over to the edge of the bunk bed and pulled on Gar's ankles. Gar fell from the bed. On the way down her hit his head on the edge of the bed.

"Ouch what did you have to do that for I already hit my head today?" Gar said feeling the back of his head for any bumps or blood.

"It's not like it will do any difference."

"What do you mean be that?"

"I mean you're already stupid. And if it weren't in your parents will you wouldn't be going to that stupid 'gifted' school."

Garfield Logan bit his tongue. Galtry was more then likely drunk and it would be better if he kept his mouth shut and did what Galtry said. He had already created enough damage for one day and he had only been up for ten minuets.

"You have to go to school today. And when you get home you need to clean this room." Galtry poked Gar hard in the breast plate then walked out of the room and into his own room probably to go to sleep.

Gar looked around his room for something clean to ware. He would have to make sure to tell Kayile to do the laundry when she got home from school. Finally he found a orange t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

He turned around to see his sister standing in the doorway. "You know I like that color on you, It complements the color of your skin.

"Um thanks. Look Kayile I'm sorry about earlier."

"It's okay Gar." Kayile walked into his room and stood behind him. "You don't have to take that from him. You could tell some one and we could get out of here and away from him." She started to tug on the back of the shirt. She was trying to straighten it a little bit.

He turned around and looked at her eyes; they reminded him of his mothers. He used to have that same color. Before he got sick that was. "Kay, I can't. Where would we go and what would we do if they split us up after we were free from him?"

"Well," Kaylie started

"I can't Kay I just can't. Not now." He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay but eventually."

"Yeah eventually." Gar took his hand off her shoulder and started to walk out the door. "Last one to the bus stop is a rotten tofu egg.'

"Yeah but the first one there has to eat a real egg." Kaylie retaliated.

Kory Anders rose with the sun. While her older sister and younger brother were still asleep she was trying her hand at preparing breakfast. She was never very good at cooking much. Back home she wasn't good, her _murena_, was bland, her _vongola _was too lemony, and her pizza was just plain odd. She had come to America at the beginning of August and knew little, if anything about the land, besides what she read about in textbooks. Her speech was limited to three years of Basic English.

When she heard someone enter the large kitchen she turned and saw her mother Luna Anders. "Good morning _fiammastar_," Kory smiled fondly at the nickname; it meant Starfire in the English translation. "How was your rest?"

"It was marvelous mother," she would not go into detail about the dream. Her dreams were always very personal. She stared at the frying pan her eggs, which were supposed to be sunny side up, were watery the toast on the other hand turned out beautiful. She sighed slightly downtrodden and set the ten pieces of toast on a plate and divided them into quarters, then set four pieces on each of the five plates.

Her older sister Kommy walked down the stairs. "What stinks?"

"You sister tried to cook again," Her father answered as he followed down. Kory looked at her eggs helplessly. Why couldn't she do anything right?

"At least someone tries around here besides me." Luna stated from a chair in the dining room. Kory brought the jelly, jam, marmalade, and butter into the dining room. She set each down and went back into the kitchen to get four knives.

"And we appreciate the gesture Kory, thank you." Kory's father Michael said in a very parental tone. It was almost as though he was conversing with a five year old, a tone he took often with his youngest daughter.

"You need not thank me father, for I am just trying to return all the wonderful things you and mother have done for me all my life." Kory sat at the table and began to put the jelly on her toast. It wasn't too crispy thankfully. By seven fourteen her mother was gathering the dishes. "No mother please, it is my mess allow me to dispose of it." Kory took the plates and set them in the sink.

"C'mon we have to get to the bus stop!" Koma yelled she walked out the door not waiting for her younger sister. Kory followed her when she had completed her task just to see the bus pull away.

Karen Beecher looked around at the bare gray walls surrounding her. "Why in the world am I up so early?" she asked herself as she walked towards the green 1980's refrigerator in the corner of the room. She slowly opened the door to make sure that nothing fell out at her. As her hand reached for the milk carton she remembered that she drank the last of it last night with out thinking of what she was going to have in the morning.

"Fine, then I guess I'm having toast for breakfast this morning." Karen walked over to the red stained closet next to the door. The cool feeling of the brass handle against her morning hands felt like drinking a cup of coffee to Karen. Just as she was taking the new loaf of bread off of the top shelf a shrill ring echoed through out the apartment.

"What now?" Karen asked herself as she picked up the fallen bread. When the phone rang again Karen finally decided to walk over to the telephone attached to the wall.

"Hello?" she asked in a groggy morning voice.

"Hi my Honey Bee." A cheerful voice responded.

"Mother do you know that it is 5:30 in the morning here?" Karen asked rolling her eyes she should of expected her mother to call this early not realizing that there was a time difference between the suburbs of Gotham and South Africa.

"Is it really? I'm so sorry honey I will call back later." Karen mother said in an apologetic voice

"No, don't bother I'm awake already. So what did you want?"

"I just wanted to wish you luck on your first day of your new school." She said with a sudden enthusiasm.

"Um okay then sure." Karen said as she stretched the cord as far as it could go so that she could get her toast into the toaster.

"Oh and honey, there will be a money coming for you soon in the mail so you can buy groceries. Well I have to go now. I love you."

"Thanks mom, I love you too." Karen hug up the phone and shoved the food into her mouth, after all it's rude to eat on the phone or she would have be done with breakfast by then.

Karen ran to her room and grabbed the stuff that she set out the night before. "No time for a shower but I can wash my hair really quick." She said to herself as she was hopping up and down around her room trying to fit her hips into a pair of old worn jeans.

She ran into the bathroom and stuck her head in the bathtub. She turned on the water and started to wash her hair. When she finished she wrapped her head and finished getting ready .Once she was fully clothed and had her make-up on she looked at her clock, 6:00. She was making pretty good time. She walked into the kitchen grabbed her bag off of a kitchen chair and took her hair out of the wrap. She set the wet towel on the table and walked out the door.

Half way down the hall Karen turned around and ran back into her apartment. "A key would be a good thing." She muttered to her self as she grabbed her key chain off of the counter. "God I hope I'm on time." Karen turned the lock and ran down the flight of stairs and out into the outside world.

As she stood at the bus stop she spotted some kid's that looked pretty out of place, but friendly. Karen decided to try and make small talk with them. As she approached them she noticed that some of them had a specific look to them. She headed towards the pink haired one.

"So what school do you go to?" Karen asked her.

"Guzzmand High. Why?" The girl replied with as much emotion as a toad.

"That's where I'm going. My name is Karen. I'm new this year."

"My name is Jinx. Where are you from?" The girl asked.

"Africa, my parents are really important there so I am living by myself for now. Until my older brother graduates from high school and can come to America to take care of me and go to college."

"Oh really? What grade are you in?"

"10th, you?"

"10th, so what's your power?"

"Well I have these laser guns, and I can shrink to the size of a bumble bee. What's your power Jinx?"

"Um it's really complicated. You should hang with us at lunch and tell me more about your brother, he sounds interesting."

"No not really he is just a norm…," Karen mouth dropped as a double-decker bus pulled up in front of the students.

"What have you never seen a school bus before?" Jynx asked

"Yeah I have, it's just that it's so _big_."

"Well get used to it Bumble Bee. You'll be seeing this thing every morning for the next 188 days of the year not including weekends."

"As one grows older, one becomes wiser and more foolish."

-Francois de la Rochefoucauld

A/N: (Kory Anders a.k.a. Willow182) Chapter One done. Please leave us reviews. The sooner we get some reviews we'll update! Yay us! Constructive criticism helps too so just leave us one when you're done.


	2. Monday with Kory

Chapter Two: The Conjunction of Five Stars

_Don't let it go away  
This feeling has got to stay  
And I can't believe I've had this chance now  
Don't let it go away  
New, you're so new  
You, you're new  
And I never had this taste in the past  
New, you're so new_

-No Doubt, _New_

Dick Grayson sat alone on the school bus. The people around him made him bored, their conversations about the latest fashions, how awesome their summers were. The local school band practiced the songs they learned at Band Camp. He wished that the academy he went to could have their own busses. Bruce certainly paid enough money for them to have ten.

The bus stopped with a sickening squeal. Everyone jerked forward hitting their heads, chins, or chests, on the seat in front of them. That was another thing he hated, he was sure he could come up with more, and they were only four houses away from his. The door squeaked open. A tall leggy girl walked on. Her hair was black, and her eyes were dark enough to match.

The girl walked towards the back with an air of confidence. She kept her chin up as well as her nose. She arched a thin dangerous brow at a trumpet player in the back. He moved with out hesitation. The bus proceeded forward. The windows were open, for it was a muggy summer day. A girl's voice could be heard begging the bus to stop. "Just ignore her, she could use the run." The black haired girl remarked snootily.

Dick listened to her plead until the begging stopped. He shouted up to the driver. "Stop, there's someone who needs a ride!" The driver glanced back; if anyone had commanded him like that they would have been walking with the person that had missed the bus. Anyone that is besides Bruce Wayne's foster son. He stopped and the girl walked on.

He had no idea what he noticed first. Her long red hair, which was tied up in a ponytail, big jade eyes that curiously looked for an open seat, the denim jeans that were hugging her nice legs, or the band practicing the eighties song _Take My Breath Away_ in the background, or perhaps the last part was in his head. Nobody had moved in their seats to make room for her, and the bus was already moving. She was crestfallen, he could tell by the look in her eyes.

Dick moved his backpack and made room before saying, "you can sit here." He was drawn to this girl for some reason. Not just because she was physically attractive. He was no saint, that certainly was part of it, but another reason, the big one, was unknown to him. The girl sat next to him gratefully.

"Thank you." She averted her eyes girlishly. She was shy from what he could find out. The rest of their bus ride was silent. Sometimes she would look at him and open her mouth as if she was going to say something, then she shut it quickly. She did not wish to disturb his thoughts.

The bus stopped in front of Guzzmand High School for the gifted. Kory rose from her seat and walked off with another thank you. She entered the school without a glance to her schedule and walked into the Geometry room. She sat in the front row, in a corner farthest from the door. When the chipper teacher entered she introduced herself as "Mrs. Piper," then she gave the students their seating chart. Kory ended up closest to the door. Mrs. Piper then began to put notes up on the board. Kory noticed she was the only one copying the notes; the others around her were falling asleep.

The bell rang and she proceeded to English class. The desks in the class were in pairs. Kory walked to the desk in the middle of the class room and the teacher looked up. "Don't get too comfortable, I have a chart." She sounded like she had just woken up and had a terrible hangover. Kory found herself to be intimidated by the sophomore English teacher.

The boy who had given half of his seat to her walked in with a green boy. The green boy was speaking animatedly about a penguin and an opossum, the boy with dark spiked hair barely showed a sign of his attention. They sat in the back. The looked over at her a lot. The green one because he had never seen her before, and the dark haired one because he had.

Many more students began to flock in, then one caught Kory's eye. He was made of metal and had no seat. "Friend, you may take the seat next to mine." People stared at him as he walked to the desk. "I am Kory." She held her small hand out for a shake.

He accepted it and introduced himself. "I'm Victor Stone, friends call me Vic."

"May I call you Vic?" Kory asked. The shyness returned she hoped she would not be rejected.

"Sure you can little lady." The released the handshake. "You have quite a grip."

"As do you."

"Shut up!" the teacher commanded in her hangover voice. "Now, I have a seating chart so pay attention I'm only saying it once." She began to call names. "Anders, Grayson." Kory stood up and gathered her belongings then sat at a desk in the far left end of the room. Grayson happened to be the kind boy that had helped her earlier.

"Hey," Kory searched his face for a sign that he knew who she was. "I'm Dick." He sat down.

"I am Kory." She nodded. The boy next to her was tall, not too tall though. His hair was black, like the suits her father owned. She couldn't see his eyes; he had a pair of sunglasses over them.

"Grayson, off now." The teacher stated. Dick grumbled and pulled the glasses off. Kory suppressed a gasp when she saw his eyes; they were bright blue, like the water of the Tyrrhenian Sea. "Now, the person next to you is your partner for all group projects." She walked to the board. "What can you tell me about Poe?"

Gar raised his hand. "He's dead?"

"Shut up idiot." She shot back. Kory raised her hand.

"His work was very chilling; Tell-Tale Heart, Cask of Amontillado, and the Raven are some of his better known works." She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. The teacher nodded.

"Good, anyone else?" Her grey eyes darted around daring someone to make a stupid remark. "Poe is your first assignment. Make a book, illustrated and all about his work."

"What do you want to do?" Dick asked.

"It matters not to me." Kory smiled gently.

"Oval Portrait cool with you?" She nodded. His nicely muscled arm went into the air. Gar was already claiming _The Raven_ eagerly. He and Victor began to fight loudly about it.

"C'mon man you didn't even ask me!" Victor shouted.

"We're doing the Raven," Gar replied stubbornly. They would bounce back after every remark with another insult or a ridiculous comment about the other. Kory watched them argue back and forth as Dick told the teacher their topic.

"We should meet up to work on it sometime. How about Wednesday?" He whispered as the teacher began to talk about due dates. Kory nodded. She felt slightly like they were arranging a date. She felt her face heat up at the thought. Dick returned his attention, then he jerked back to her, "Can we do it at your place, my… dad's having people over that night."

Kory nodded. She was trying not to be too outspoken, knowing her luck she would say something wrong; her English was still in desperate need of assistance. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of anyone, especially Dick. The bell rang. She gathered her few items consisting of a notebook, and her purse then walked out of the room.

She glanced at her schedule; her next class was science. She never did like science much. Back at home she found it tedious and lacked the attention span to pay attention, no matter how hard she tried. She entered the room and noticed the lab tables next to one another; she sat in one and opened her notebook.

The bell seemed to take forever to ring. She tapped her pen on the desk. It was pink and had many feathers on it. The teacher's voice droned and Starfire put her usual amount of energy and effort into copying the ridiculously long and boring notes. The whole forty eight minute period she stared at the board unfocused copying the notes.

She was thankful for the loud bell. She walked down the large crowded hall to history. She was shoved and thrown around much like a rag doll through the hallway. She apologized to the people she ran into and the people that ran into her. She made it into history unscathed and sat down near a window.

Seconds before the bell rang another girl walked in. Her hair was dark Kory couldn't tell if it was black or purple. She looked around with abnormally violet eyes only one seat was open, and it was next to Kory. She sat down grumpily. She didn't frighten Kory, she merely intimidated her.

The teacher entered the room. He began to talk about current events. Kory pulled her notebook out and wrote on a blank sheet of paper.

_Hello my name is Kory_

She tossed it to the girl next to her. The violet eyes read over the note lifted her hand, the pencil glowed and began to write, she threw the note to her encased in the same black light.

**_Raven_**

_Your powers are amazing_

**_Thanks_**

****

_You are most welcome. Are you to attend luncheon after this lesson?_

**_Yeah. _**

****

_Would you care to sit with me, you seem to be my first female friend._

**_Sorry I'm already sitting with some people._**

****

_Oh, all right._

The teacher looked their way. Kory froze; she was afraid of getting into trouble. She was afraid of many things. The teacher walked in between the girls then passed them. Kory wouldn't turn for fear he was lurking over her shoulder. She heard a sound hit a desk.

Most of the class was laughing. Kory wasn't for her empathy towards the student that had been woken up overwhelmed her. Raven wasn't, Kory couldn't even begin to guess why that was. The teacher had returned to teaching as though nothing had happened five minutes later the bell rang.

Kory walked to her locker quite used to getting tossed around the hallway. She opened it and pulled out a brown bag then she shut it. She reopened it and reached for a book. She did not want to be alone the whole period; the characters would keep her company.

She followed a group of students into the courtyard. She sat down under a tree and opened the bag. She pulled out a Tupperware container and began to eat the shrimp alfredo. She looked around and saw Raven sitting with the cute boy from the bus, Richard, the green boy called Gar, and Victor. They were glancing over at her every once in a while. Then they would whisper; that made her feel uneasy. Richard stood up and walked over to her.

"Hi" he said. He was on his haunches. "Mind if I sit?" Kory shook her head no. He sat. "You look lonely."

"One grows accustomed to it I suppose." She smiled though her comment was less than thrilling. He frowned. His frown was deep and affected his whole face, causing his forehead to crease and his eyebrows to furrow.

"Don't get used to it; c'mon sit with me and my friends." He offered a hand to the foreign girl. She took it.

"_Grazie_," she said instinctively. He arched a brow. She noticed his sunglasses had returned. "I mean…"

"You speak Italian, that's cool." He said in a voice that comforted her. She smiled shyly and followed him with his hand still holding hers. "Guys this is Kory. That's Vic Stone, you've met him. Gar Logan, he's in our English class, and Raven Roth"

"We have history together." Raven added.

"_Buona__ pomeriggi_…That is good afternoon." The hand holding hers gave it a squeeze of reassurance. She smiled and took a breath. Dick sat down and motioned for her to join them. She hesitantly obliged and listened to them speak.

They're voices were so different. Gar's was amusing to the ears. Raven's was dark yet strangely calming, it reminded Kory of lavender. Vic's voice was powerful it reminded her of her father, who reminded her of a General. Lastly there was Richard. He had a voice that was claming to her ears like Raven's, but she knew if he told her to do something dangerous she would. His voice seemed to have that effect upon her.

"So where are you from?" Gar asked. Kory looked up and smiled.

"Italy." She replied. Her homeland rolled off her tongue pronounced as _E-tally_.

"When'd you get here?" Gar asked. The questions began to roll out of his mouth, and Kory answered them with ease.

"What's your next class?" Vic asked.

"I do believe it is defense, but I am not sure" She pulled out her schedule to confirm it. Then she nodded. "Yes it is defense."

"Raven and I have that next too." Dick commented biting into his macaroni and cheese. Kory smiled.

They walked out to the football field, where defense was held. The field was opened up and many contraptions were scattered about it. Kory walked on the field between Richard and Raven. They were both the quiet types from what she could tell.

"Students defense class is about… well defending yourself." Their teacher, Mr. Mumbo stated. She noticed Raven's brow shoot up at the man's stupidity. "So who would like to try the course first?" Kory timidly raised her hand. "Ah yes you, girl in the pink." He pointed to her. She walked up and followed the instructions.

The course began and she began to fly. She could feel the adrenaline rush through her body. The happiness she felt to fly was amazing. Speed alone couldn't protect her though. She forced a part of her mind to think of something that could cause her anger. _You can't do anything right Kory Anders. Just give up…_ her sister's voice echoed, her fists began to glow a radiant green. She threw the green bolts at the discs that flew at her and in no time she had completed the test. Although her thoughts had sent her to a point of unhappiness. Why did her sister not like her? She walked over to her friends and put on a smile. No need to ruin their time.

The student from History, the one who had fallen asleep went next. He wasn't attractive. Kory thought of him as more of a Chewbacca, Mr. Mumbo had called him Wildebeest. He certainly wasn't frightening, at least not to her. He went through the course using his brute force. Richard followed after him.

She was surprised by Richard's means of attack. For he could not fly, Richard used things he pulled from his pockets. He used his agility to dodge things and it must have taken so much physical training. She admired him for that.

Raven had fascinated her since she saw her. Her powers were no different. She could use the dark energy as anything she wanted to. She could slice things, and shield herself. Kory watched in wide-eyed amazement when each of her friends went through the course.

They walked to physical education. Which turned out to be just like the ones back home, not too much strain in that.

Kory walked alongside Dick and Raven as they entered the courtyard for combat. They walked to the back of the grassy area for reasons unknown to her. She noticed Gar and Vic enter followed by a tall man dressed in black slacks, an orange shirt, and a blue tie. He had an eye patch over his right eye. She could sense an aura of fear gather around most of the class.

"Hello students," he smiled a sinister smile. Kory shuddered her eyes darted to Richard. She could tell his teeth were clenched, much like his fists. Part of her wanted to reach to place a hand upon his; the other part was frightened that he would react badly. The earlier option won. She touched his fist with her palm and clasped what she could into her hand. She felt him tense more then become slightly more relaxed than he was earlier.

"This is a class you must pass before you can obtain your new identity, for you first test I will need a volunteer for the demonstration." Two hands were up in the front, but the man's eye focused on Richard. Kory wanted to cling to him tighter. "Thank you for your help Mister Grayson."

"But Richard has not…" Kory began to protest as his hand left hers and he walked through the crowd. Gar's furry green hand was on her shoulder. He shook his head as though to say _Don't try, it's hopeless._ She looked at the front of the area to see Richard standing still waiting for instructions.

"Today we're going to do the Lanigiro hold." The class looked at the teacher like he was a madman. He made a tut sound with his tongue. "Well then watch and learn." He began to situate his arm and legs.

"Hey Dick it looks like Slade likes you!" a student shouted. Dick returned the comment with an icy glare.

Kory was perplexed by the comment. "Who is this Slade and why would he not like Richard?" She asked Raven. Before she earned her answer the teacher looked at her.

"You, since you're talking I assume you can break free from this hold. Why don't you show us?" She could feel her face heat. She walked up and stood still as death. She could hear Richard walk up behind her and she waited to feel his arms and leg lock around her. It didn't come. "Stiffen up Richard." The teacher, whom Starfire could only assume was Slade commanded.

"Yeah stiffen up Dick!" Gar shouted.

She tensed slightly as his grip tightened around her waist with his left arm, and his right closer to her neck. His left leg wrapped around hers and his chest pressed into her back allowing her to feel his chest and abs. Were they in another place and in this current position, she would have sighed in delight. But she was supposed to break free which she did when she stretched her arms and leg effortlessly.

Richard had fallen to the ground. "Oh Richard I am sorry, are you undamaged?" She offered a tan hand to help him up. He got up without her assistance. She bit her lip, did he not like how strong she was, she had not meant to throw him, was he upset because of that?

"You're strong." He stated absently. She was confused by his tone. Was that bad? The pair sat in an awkward silence having finished the lesson. Kory constantly opened her mouth prepared to say something then closed it almost instantly upon seeing the look of deep thought on Richard's face. After what seemed like an eternity Slade dismissed them.

Kory walked to her locker and gathered anything she would need for the evening. When she shut it she saw Richard. "Do you want me to walk you to the bus?" He asked.

"I was thinking of walking home actually." She replied kindly. "You are welcome to join me though." She added. Soon enough the pair had exited the building and were walking to their part of town. Kory's pink Chuck Taylor's hit the sidewalk as they walked about a foot and apart. "Thank you," she whispered almost to the point of it being inaudible.

Dick looked at her in confusion. "For what?"

"Everything," she sighed. "I wish to thank you for offering me a seat and allowing me to befriend your friends, and…" she paused. "For accepting me in some way I suppose." the last part was whispered to the point of which if Richard's hearing was not exquisite he wouldn't have heard her.

"Kory…" he began but did not get the chance to finish for the tan girl had thrown her skinny arms around his neck and hugged him. She felt his body stiffen then relax as he wrapped his arms around her easily.

"Thank you…" she whispered, and there the pair stood. In the middle of the nowhere town for the first time in their lives nothing else mattered. The walk to their street afterwards was fast for their conversation carried them all the way to Kory's doorstep. When Kory shut the door after saying goodbye she sighed against it.

Nobody was home yet. Her parents still at work, and Koma… Kory never could answer that question. She entered the living room. The house was abnormally clean the carpet was swept, and there was not a spec of dust on the television. Kory was used to the cleanliness and she wasn't afraid to move around, back in Verona her neighbors didn't dare move for fear of misplacing something.

"Hello Kory how was school?" Luna asked as she entered the front door.

"It was wonderful mother, I made some new friends." She followed her mother into the kitchen. "We have no plans on the Wednesday correct?"

"Yes why?"

"My English partner and I have to write and illustrate a work of fiction by Edgar Allen Poe. His father is having company over so we were hoping to work here." Kory explained. Her mother looked at her from the McDonalds coffee.

"That's fine."

"All Right, _grazzie_mother."

A/N: End Chapter One. (Kory Anders/Willow182) So thanks to our reviewers. You will note a character change. Each time we update the Character1 will be changed to the one that the chapter is being based off of. It's now under Starfire, when my co-partner gives me her part shortly it will be under Beast Boy. Just a forewarning.


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